


Loophole

by I_have_more_ships_than_friends



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen, Marauders era, Mild Language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-05
Updated: 2020-08-05
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:07:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 542
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25722589
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/I_have_more_ships_than_friends/pseuds/I_have_more_ships_than_friends
Summary: Sirius and James find a loophole in a certain rule meant to keep students in their dormitories at night.
Kudos: 4





	Loophole

**Author's Note:**

> Fun fact I wrote this like two years ago and just forgot to post it so enjoy. Inspired by a tumblr post that I cannot find so if anyone finds it give them credit

"Do you know what's stupid?" James said, rolling over to look at Sirius in the next bed. 

"I have a list. The majority of them start with 'James's'." Lupin murmured under his breath, resulting in a pillow half-heartedly thrown at his face. He easily deflected it and it fell to the floor. 

"Shut up, Moony. And Padfoot is the idiot here, we can all agree on that. But the specific stupid thing I was looking for was the 'No students out of bed after dark' rule. It's like they're trying to limit our mischief." James whined, sitting up in his bed and narrowly avoiding hitting his head on the post. 

"I agree. With Mrs. Norris patrolling the corridors and watching everything like a fucking hawk, we can't do any of our best prank ideas." Sirius agreed. Lupin made a noise of annoyance at his friends conversation and placed his pillow over his head. 

"Loophole." his muffled voice said from beneath the pillow. Sirius and James' heads turned to look at Lupin. 

"What loophole?" James said with a mischievous smirk on his face. 

"You just need to pay more attention to wording. The rule says "No students OUT OF BED after dark', not no students out after dark." Lupin rolled over and bid them good night. Sirius and James turned to each other with matching expressions. 

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" "Already ahead of you, Prongs." 

*****  
"Professor, if you really think about it, it's not technically breaking the rules." McGonagall's mouth was set in a thin line and there was a fire in her eyes. 

"Please, enlighten me on how that was not technically breaking the rules, Mr. Potter and Mr. Black." Clearly not seeing the exasperated and borderline murderous expression on Professor McGonagall's face, James plowed on. 

"Well, you see Professor, the curfew rule is 'No students out of bed after dark'. The wording was not specific enough to actually forbid us from doing what we did. Therefore, we did not break the rules and do not deserve punishment." He broke into a cheerful grin as the professor put her head in her hands. She looked up at the two boys with a distinct 'Why me?' expression. She cleared her throat and took a deep breath. 

"Mr. Potter, rules are in place to ensure the safety of our students. That rule was put in place to keep students in their dormitories after dark. What you did was dangerous and an endangerment of yourself and other students." 

James immediately began to argue. "Professor, we were completely safe the entire time and no one else was even in danger to your aforementioned rule." 

Sirius nodded emphatically in agreement. "Professor, he is right. No one was injured or even in danger of it. Most importantly, it wasn't even technically against the rules." James smiled innocently and looked expectantly at the professor. She looked back at them with a dumbfounded expression. 

"Boys, although I must applaud your....extremely creative loophole skills, I will have to say that levitating your beds down the halls is a violation of the rules, if not explicitly forbidden. I will ensure the wording of that particular rule is changed, and see both of you gentlemen in detention on Saturday. My office."


End file.
